Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics stripped
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks strips the ball from Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 16, 2025 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
To those Boston Celtics fans who have either been a part of – or had to put up with – the long-standing discussion about whether Jaylen Brown is a good-enough ball-handler, a recent clip of Brown at an offseason visit to a high school will only add fuel to the first. At least, in a good-natured way.
During a surprise visit to Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia – his alma mater – Brown had a brief game of one-on-one with the school’s assistant principal, Barry Bowdre Jr. In front of the student body in the school’s gymnasium, Brown tried to put on a show – but in the process, he got shown up.
Unstoppable Force Met Immovable Object
Of course, this was not Jaylen Brown trying his absolute hardest. The assistant principal was, because of course he was; this was a one-off opportunity to both get the better of an NBA star, and also to make a room full of students like you, which as every teacher knows is basically impossible to achieve. Brown, though, was clearly not fully engaged. And nor should he have been. It was just a bit of fun.
Nevertheless, the risk with not trying particularly hard is looking foolish. With Bowdre giving it his all, he was able to strip the ball away from a meandering Brown (although it might be fairer to say that Brown just dribbled into him for some reason), and came away with possession, turning the watching student body into instant barbarians.
After the principal somehow missed a two-foot lay-up by three feet on his offensive possession – a painful attempt which Brown could have blocked into the Kuiper Belt had he wanted to, but let him shoot anyway, after a less-than-convincing dribble by Bowdre with his head down to get there that also featured one of the world’s greatest palming violations – Brown got another chance. This time, he was able to shake his defender quite easily. Despite a valiant effort by the assistant principal to get back and contest at the rim – succeeding only in getting on the poster – Brown dunked the ball home, showing the fired-up crowd just how enormous the gap between NBA players and normal citizens really is.
When they put forth the effort, at least.
Brown Did Not Go Left
Once the clip went viral, the ball-breakers were out in force. After all, the knock on Brown for so many years, rightly or wrongly, has been his limited dribbling skills for a star NBA wing player.
Conversations about Brown’s supposedly limited ball-handling have been going on throughout his career. It was a widely-flagged issue during his draft process, and despite winning an NBA Finals MVP award in 2024, they continue to this day. It is true that Brown handles more like Eddie Robinson than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – it has not, however, much held him back in his career to date.
Then again, Brown is not going to go up against defenders with the combination of intensity, footwork, hands, work ethic, physical profile, fan support, clean fade and snappy dress sense of Brian Bowdre Jr very often. When locked in, the man is on another level. Just don’t ask him to handle the ball too much going the other way.
Still can’t go Left 🤣😂🤣
— L1pp (@Tony_Lippett14) August 29, 2025